iPhone 4 Review

Full review of iPhone 4: Apple's attempt to re-revolutionize the iPhone

Reviewing iPhone 4 is a challenge. It has been hailed by Apple as the greatest leap forward since the original iPhone 2G and dismissed by critics as just another iterative rehash. iPhone 4 has a new look. Polished stainless steel bound by sleekly laminated layers of glass, it harkens back to the heydays of Leica and Braun and might just be the iPhone Apple has always dreamed of making. Yet having glass front and back and the antenna array banded along the side could end up being as much functional loss as it is form win.

iPhone 4 also ships with Apple's latest software, iOS 4. It brings features such as multitasking and folders, unified inbox and threaded email, and FaceTime video calling. Each of these come with limitations however, that while making them nearly effortless for new users to pick up, ensure power users will retain a level of frustration with the platform.

Like every one of Apple's iOS products before it, iPhone 4 is going to be as divisive and controversial as it is popular and passionately embraced. Some of you will be looking at it, iPhone 3GS, 3G, or even 2G still in hand, wondering if its worth the upgrade. Others may be looking across from Android or BlackBerry, webOS or Windows Phones, trying to figure out if its finally time to make the switch (or come back).

So is it? Read on as TiPb goes hands-on with Apple's latest hardware and software to help you decide.

Update: The Verizon iPhone 4 has finally shipped and there are some differences and new options. Check out our full Verizon iPhone Review for all the details!

iPhone 4 hardware

Where previous iPhones have become iconified as singular slabs, iPhone 4 takes it to the next level - flat, curved but with an edge, and -- of course -- obsessively thin.

That's 0.37 inches (9.3 mm) thin for the spec fans among us, at 4.5 inches (115.2 mm) high and 2.31 inches (58.6 mm) wide and weighing in at the same 4.8 ounces (137 grams) as the iPhone 3GS. It looks flat out sexy and it feels fine to hold even if Apple has once again made no concessions towards grip -- as we said it's all stainless steel and glass.

Along the sides you'll find the few, familiar buttons and ports -- 3.5mm headset (still flush), noice-canceling mic, sleep/wake button, microSIM card slot (along the side now), speaker, 30-pin dock connector, phone mic, volume up and down buttons (separate now, not a rocker), and the ring/silent switch. On the front, below the screen (which we'll get to in a moment) is the home button. Above the screen is the ear speaker and the new front-facing, VGA (640x480) camera. On the back is the new 5 megapixel still, 720p video camera and LED flash.

Retina Display

Beneath the front layer of that glass is what Apple is calling Retina Display, a ridiculously dense 960x640 screen resolution. That's four times as many pixels packed into the same 3.5 inch (88.9 mm) diagonal space as the iPhone 3GS (and every previous iPhone). At 326 ppi (pixels per inch), it's higher than the print quality of many color publications and while scientists will debate the exactitude of Apple's branding to our eyes the only thing that matters is -- no more pixels.

We're not going to get into the debate about whether or not 326 ppi is a truly a retina-exceeding display -- Georgia has covered that debate -- but here's an attempt to simulate the difference strictly for the purpose of this review.

We took similar screenshots with both the iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4 and then scaled up the the iPhone 3GS to 200% using "nearest neighbor" to keep the edges from smoothing. On a 72/96 ppi computer screen the difference will look far more dramatic than it really is but for small details like the icons in a folder or tiny text on a web page, the difference is noticeable.

Much like Apple's design trend has been to minimize the machine and leave only the display as a window into the web and apps, Retina Display takes that even further, it turns the display into a window. The grid is gone and you see only the content. It's both subtle and profound and you might not notice the difference until the next time you see tiny text on a lesser display. iPhone 4 is simply more like looking at a glossy magazine or analog movie screen that piece of electronics.

Like with the recent iMac and the iPad, Apple is using LED with IPS, which are a couple of acronyms that net out to rich colors, deep blacks, and a very wide viewing angle. You can watch movies or read text even if you're looking at it almost sideways. Most impressive.

Previous generations of iPhone held on to the 480x320 display while competing devices went to 800x480 (or 854x480 in the case of the newly announced Droid X), iPhone 4 leapfrogs to the top again. And by making the new 960x640 resolution precisely quadruple the old one, they've ensured legacy apps will look exactly the same as on an iPhone 3GS (no iPad style jaggies) and new apps specifically design for iPhone 4 will look significantly sharper.

It's a huge step up from previous iPhones and from any other display currently on the market.

The downside to all that glass is that it could scratch, chip, or even break. Dieter's iPhone 4 somehow suffered a hairline scratch on the first weekend. Since it's glass on both sides, it also increases the odds that, if you drop it, glass will take the impact.

With the display now laminated to the screen, you'll have to replace the whole assembly if that ever happens. Consider extra insurance or a case or body skin if you're at all worried. However, the benefit of that lamination is that there is no space at all between the LCD and the outer glass, which makes the display look better and should completely eliminate dust appearing in that space.

We should also note there were initial reports of yellow splotches on some screens. This could be the result of the laminate glue not having had time to properly cure. Running the display on high brightness and waiting a couple days is supposed to render it clear. That seems to be the case but we're going to wait a while before scratching it off our watch list.

Cameras

While the iPhone has always had a very popular camera, it would be polite to say it hasn't always had a very high quality camera. The iPhone 3GS took a step forward with 3 megapixels, tap-to-focus, and much better auto white-balance and imaging software. It was good enough to outperform other camera phone with higher pixel counts but was starting to show its age as Nokia and Android hit the 8mp mark.

iPhone 4 shows that Apple is not only making an effort to keep up now, but is actively working to take their camera to another level.

Rather than chopping up their sensor even more to join the aforementioned megapixel race, Apple went with a more modest increase to 5mp but increased the size and quality of the sensor, and added back illumination at the same time. That means each pixel is bigger and better at absorbing light which translates into higher quality images, especially at low light. (And they even threw in an LED flash for good measure.)

It's not perfect -- whites are sometimes blown out, the 5x digital zoom is still a digital zoom, and it won't match a high quality point-and-shoot, much less DSLR -- but it's still amongst the best cameras we've seen on a phone to date. That, combined with what seems like even better software and the convenience of convergence means many people will be leaving their point-and-shoot camera at home.

Another product that doesn't look like it's long for this world is the Flip Mino HD. iPhone 4's 720p, 30fps video looks good enough, thanks to the same tap-to-focus and white-balancing software, that anything under a proper 1080p prosumer video camera can mostly be left at home. (Mostly because video recording drains battery and eats up storage, so if you're planning to shoot a lot on the go you'll need a way to recharge and to transfer old video off to make room for new.)

Here's some video Leanna recorded (crushed by YouTube compression, of course, but hit the 720p button for best-we-can-get quality).

And here's some in low-light with the LED. (It can be turned on and left on for video work).

iPhone 4 also features a front-facing camera. It is considerably smaller than the beast of a lens on the rear, the front-facing camera is intended mainly for VGA quality self-portraits (hello new profile pics!) and video, like for Apple's new FaceTime feature. (More on that below.)

Stainless steel antenna band

When the first leaked images of iPhone 4 appeared many people doubted they were the real-thing since the black gaps in the otherwise polished steel band around the outside looked so decidedly un-Apple. At WWDC 2010 Steve Jobs revealed that the band was actually the main structural element of the phone -- and an external antenna array. The black gaps were the separations between the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS antenna and the GSM/UTMS cellular radio antenna.

While Apple often says great form is functional, seldom do they let functionality trump form to this extent, so we figured it must be important. And it is. Many people report better reception with the iPhone 4... unless they touch it on the lower left side, making a connection between two of those antennas with their hand.

It's not happening to everyone (at TiPb we're split -- for example Dieter can reproduce it at will, Jeremy doesn't have it at all) and we don't yet know how widespread it is or whether it can be fixed by a software update, but -- for a lot of people if you hold iPhone four in your left hand or otherwise create a connection between the two antennas on the left side, the network (voice and/or data) can drop from full bars to none almost immediately.

Areas with strong signal, especially outside, seem to have fewer problems than areas with weak signals, especially inside. Apple has, incomprehensibly, suggested users learn to "hold different" or use a case that insulates the area.

Suffice it to say those aren't acceptable answers, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens next.

Pentaband cellular is a great addition. Unfortunately, it doesn't include T-Mobile US 3G, but the extra bands will certainly be appreciated by networks in the Asia-Pacific areas that use them.

Likewise, fast, far reaching 802.11n is an appreciable upgrade somewhat crippled by being restricted to the more congested 2.4GHz frequency. Most 802.11n routers give the roomier 5GHz range as an option. It's too bad Apple didn't do the same.

Speaker and mics

For a company whose heritage is the iPod, the iPhone has never blown us away with its speakers. They've lacked loudness to the degree that some users took needles to previous models in desperate attempt to get the sound out. (We didn't recommend it, still don't.)

We're glad to report that iPhone 4 sounds better and louder to us. The speaker phone, while still not booming, is far more usable than any of its predecessors. The ear speaker also seems louder and make stereo gaming a noticeably more enjoyable experience.

It is worth noting that the speaker is still recessed on the bottom and so holding the iPhone in a natural position for games - which is to say horizontally - can cause the speaker to be almost entirely muffled by your hand.

Noise cancellation is very, very impressive, the best we've heard on any phone or Bluetooth headset. Even with very loud music in the background, callers report that they can hear us loud and clear.

Internals

Apple has considerably beefed up iPhone 4's internal specs, most notably by including the ARM Cortex A8 and PowerVR SGX-based Apple A4 system-on-a-chip that debuted in the iPad. It's unclear whether or not the iPhone 4's A4 is clocked at the same 1GHz as the iPad's, whether its under-clocked to save on power and reduce thermal output, or whether it can dynamically adjust its speed to strike a balance between demands and constraints.

Apple's not saying and for most of us none of that really matters. It feels snappy and transitions with a silky smoothness that trumps the already impressive iPhone 3GS and gives the much larger iPad a run for its money -- both in performance and battery life.

Using both the A4 and the smaller microSIM standard, Apple has made the battery 14% bigger and made some aggressive claims as to just how long and how hard you can push your iPhone 4: up to 7 hours talk time on 3G, 14 hours on 2G, and 300 hours on standby. Internet is rated at 6 hours on 3G and 10 hours on Wi-Fi. Video playback is said to match the iPad's 10 hours (!) while audio reaches 40 hours.

We've only had the iPhone 4 in our power hungry hands for a couple of days now and battery life can fluctuate especially when you're dealing with a new device. That said, in our decidedly unscientific tests it lasted longer than our iPhone 3GS and we'll be putting it through its paces to see just how well it holds up over the days, weeks, and months ahead. (And we'll update with our findings).

Something Apple didn't mention but tear downs have subsequently and joyously revealed are 512MB of RAM. That's double the iPhone 3GS and double the iPad, and something that should really pay off in terms of the new display and most importantly, the new multitasking.

Recent Android and Windows Phone devices have had 1GHz Snapdragon chips in them for a while now, and 512MB of RAM has become the new high-end standard. It's nice to see Apple matching those on spec and it will be interesting to see what if any advantage composing their own Systen-on-a-Chip gives them moving forward.

There's also a new sensor in the mix this year. A gyroscope -- the first in a phone as far as we're aware -- hooks into the accelerometer and allows for incredibly precise 3-axis motion control and rotation around gravity. That translates into better games, better augmented reality.

Not a lot of apps are making use of the gyroscope yet but in the couple we tried it took the kinda-sorta feeling of the accelerometer and made it the yes-exactly feeling of real control.

Accessory compatibility

While iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS shared the same casing, meaning accessory manufacturers had an incredible 2 year run using the same basic templates for their designs, iPhone 4 is a different beast.

If you have accessories from a previous iPhone, and those accessories were molded (typically cases, some chargers, and docks) chances are they won't fit properly on or with iPhone 4. You'll have to look into the new ones that are already coming to market.

If they're designed to fit in the 30-pin Dock connector, iPhone 4 should pop up a warning if it thinks they aren't compatible. The warning isn't always a show-stopper -- our car charger said it was incompatible but charged just fine -- but it's something to consider. If you're uncertain, proceed with caution.

And if you're wondering -- no, Apple iPad camera kit isn't currently supported by iPhone 4. It would sure be nice if Apple added that little bit of functionality.

The total package

Taken as a whole Apple has produced what can only be described as a stunningly beautiful piece of industrial design that may or may not be tragically flawed by what first seemed a very clever part of that design. An even more singular experience than previous iPhones, we'll likewise have to wait and see just how much Apple's penchant for the minimalism of glass and metal costs iPhone 4 when it comes to durability.

FaceTime

Apple didn't invent video calls to be sure. Nokia has been doing it for a while and HTC's recently released, Android-powered Sprint Evo 4G does it by means of third party software like Qik. FaceTime, by contrast, is typically Apple in that it's a first party, end-to-end solution. That makes it both easier to use than previous attempts but also far more limited.

You place a call or pick a contact, hit the FaceTime button, and you're video calling... provided the other person in also on an iPhone 4 and on Wi-Fi. (Apple thinks they may get carrier support for cell data FaceTime next year.)

Frustratingly, if the person you want to FaceTime isn't on an iPhone 4, isn't on Wi-Fi, or just isn't ready for you, FaceTime won't indicate this in advance, it will just try to connect... and try to connect... until it fails.

When it works, though, it works great. Your own picture sits in the corner but can be moved with the flick of a finger, and a single tap can switch it from front-facing to rear-facing camera so the person you're talking to can share not only the conversation, but the action.

If you want to put the call on hold, tap and hold the mute button. If you want to temporarily stop the video but keep the audio going, tap the home button to put FaceTim into the background.

Here's Chad and Leanna trying it out. If you want to try it out as well and don't have another iPhone 4 wielding, Wi-Fi connected friend handy, Apple has customer support specialists available to try it with you at 1-888-FACETIME.

Apple built FaceTime on open protocols like the H.264 video codec, AAC audio codec, SIP signaling protocol, STUN and ICE for NAT traversal, TURN for TCP/UDP data receipt, RTP and SRTP for audio and video packet delivery. Interestingly they've released their implementation back as an open protocol so that others can use it as well. Hopefully some, like Apple's own iChat on Mac, and Skype on pretty much every platform will adopt it.

Yes, in the not-so-distant future we might just be able to pick up FaceTime on iPhone 4 and talk to our fellow editors at Android Central and Nokia Experts on their devices.

It remains to be seen if video calling can be made mainstream, but given their record lately, we won't bet against Apple.

Multitasking

The iPhone has always multitasked and multitasked well, it's just been limited to Apple's own apps like iPod and Mail. They haven't allowed 3rd party App Store apps to run in the background until now. Sort of.

We've written quite a bit already about iOS 4's implementation of multitasking from a how-it-works perspective, and at WWDC we heard from manydevelopers who sounded really impressed by it in theory. Now we've had a chance to feel it in action and... it's a mixed bag.

Here's the gist -- if an app is running and you hit the home button, it no longer quits but is allowed to register a thread to complete a task (like uploading a photo to YouTube) or leave a VoIp connection (like Skype), music stream (like Pandora), or location-based service (like TomTom or FourSquare). Apps can also register local notifications, like push notifications but without requiring an internet server to send them (so your clock could sleep but your alarm would still go off).

The rest of the app then saves its state and closes down to conserve resources like memory and battery power. Users can then double-tap the home button to get a new, fast app switcher UI to quickly move around, and when they come back to the original app they were running, it reloads the saved state and they can continue from exactly where they left off.

Developers, however, have to implement things like saved state and the background music API, and while Apple is listing iOS 4 compatible apps in the App Store, those simply indicate apps that have been tested and don't crash under iOS 4, not apps that properly implement multitasking.

This means a user could have one app, like the excellent Real Racing, which does save state, and another app, like Eliminate: Gun Range, which currently supports Retina Display and the gyroscope but does not save state (at least in our tests), creating a confusing experience and the perception that iOS 4 multitasking is buggy at best and broken at worst.

The background API for streaming music is solid. We've streamed iTunes podcasts, switched to other streams, done hard reboots twice, and the stream has still picked up right where we left off. TomTom is currently the only big name supporting background location for turn-by-turn but we've seen beta versions of some of the others and they all worked well -- clear directions even while out of the app or on a call, and quick resumption when back in the app. Skype is still looking into background support and since it took them 3 months to get 3G support out the door, we're not holding our breath for a quick update. (Prove us wrong. Please.)

Beyond background VoIP, streaming music, and location, however, other useful background API aren't currently supported. Time-line updates specifically is something Apple said they're supporting via notifications rather than background. That means you'll know if you get a new tweet, IM, or RSS article because of a badge, sound, or alert box, but the app will still have to load that new content when you re-launch it (unlike iPhone's Mail app which gets your email in the background and has the subject and preview ready and waiting when you tap into it.)

Persistent internet connections for things like SSH tunnels and VNC sessions aren't supported. You can complete tasks after you exit but they'll have to reconnect when you go back to them later.

For the sake of communication junkies and network administrators both, here's hoping Apple expands background support to include them in the future.

In terms of the fast-app switcher interface, this is the part that most of us will simply consider the new "multitasking" since it's the most visible element. While again not as slick as Palm's Cards (which, to be fair, is similar to Apple's interface for switching pages in mobile Safari), it does stick closely to the overall app and dock-centric metaphor Apple's been training us on since iOS 1.0.

A lot of work has been done to preserve our orientation. When you double click the home button the screen looks to split open and reveal the new interface "in the background". Apps are sorted by most recent use, eliminating the previously annoying need to page through up to 11 home screen pages just to switch back and forth between two apps.

When you change apps via the multitasking UI, you get a new animation, like a carousel, that shows the new app coming in on top and pushing the old app into the background. (If you exit to the home screen first you get the traditional, iconic, fly-in/fly-out animation).

Since apps are supposed to save state now, and you come back right where you left off, the overall experience really is quick and clean -- and perceptively multitasking.

The multitasking dock also has a few other features. You can force-quit an app here by going into jiggly mode and tapping the minus icon. If you swipe left on the multitasking UI you get a set of pseudo widget-like controls. The first locks orientation, a software version of the iPad's hardware switch. Strangely, it's portrait-only at the moment but for those who like to read in bed, half a solution is better than none. The next three controls are for streaming music -- skip back/rewind, play/pause, and skip ahead/fast forward. The last icon is for the app that's currently playing music, either iPod for local music, iTunes for streaming podcasts from the store, or Pandora, Slacker, etc. for internet radio.

Nifty as that is, there's still no lock screen or home screen widgets to provide glance-able data (aside from Calendar, whose icon carries the current date -- something it's done since iPhone 1.0 but no other icon has been updated to do since).

Overall, iOS 4's fast app switcher is familiar enough and contextual enough that the added complexity isn't overwhelming. It feels like it works the way it should, just not quite yet the way the power users among us wish it would.

Ultimately, while it's easy to nit, it's hard to argue with Apple's results here -- there's a system that does most of what we think multitasking should do with minimal impact on battery life or performance.

That's a huge win.

Folders

You could previously store 180 apps on your iPhone. Thanks to iOS 4 you can now create an app "folder" that contains up to 12 other apps, bringing the theoretical total to 2160. The folder icon itself will display tiny versions of the apps inside it, which are surprisingly recognizable on iPhone 4's Retina Display.

However, folder icons only show 9 app icons (3x3) out of twelve, meaning apps 10 through 12 are effectively hidden, destroying the entire purpose of icons. Then again, some folks are already saying 12 apps per folder isn't enough so limiting it to 9 probably would have come with complaints as many if not more complaints.

Visually the folder UI is similar to the fast app switcher in that it splits the screen and "opens" up to reveal the apps contained inside (orientation and context).

You create or add to a folder by dragging one app icon onto another, you remove apps or folders by dragging apps out, and when no apps are left the folder automatically deletes itself.

Folders are named "intelligently" according to Apple, which means they check the app category and sub-category and try to match whichever is both most specific and most applicable to the group. "Social" would show up for Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn apps. A bunch of FPS would get "Action Games", etc. Given most of us will group similar apps together, it usually works fairly well and when it doesn't it's easy to edit.

Again, it's nothing like a hierarchical file system like you'd find in older PalmOS or Windows Phone devices, and it provides no functionality beyond simple grouping. For many of us, that'll be enough.

Mail

There are two big changes to mail, support for multiple ActiveSync accounts (so you can push both your work Exchange and home Gmail/Google Sync at the same time), and unified inbox with threaded email view.

Multiple ActiveSync works well to the point that you don't realize it's there -- just set it up and you're good to go. Pushing MobileMe, Exchange, and Google Sync didn't cause an appreciable hit on our battery life either.

The unified inbox and threaded email work well enough, though sometimes we had to dig through threads to find new mail. (That could have been the result of Google's mail service performing very poorly in general during the period we were testing).

When multiple messages are in a thread a small gray square containing the number of messages is displayed beside a small gray arrow to the right hand side. Tapping a message takes you to the thread view, tapping it again shows you the message. This does mean Apple has doubled the amount of taps needed to get to an email, but if that bothers you, you can hop into Settings, Mail, Contacts, and Calendar, and flip the Organize by Thread toggle to "off".

Not as well oriented or contextualized an interface as the fast app switcher or folders, it's none-the-less one more tiny little step on Apple's journey towards serious communications device.

Next steps will hopefully include adding the ability to mark (and mark all) as read/un-read, and flag/star messages.

iBooks and iMovie

Apple announced two apps alongside iPhone 4. The first was iBooks for iPhone, the second was iMovie for iPhone 4.

These aren't built in, however, but made available via the iTunes App Store. (Which hopefully means Apple can update them at their own pace and not be forced to tie their updates to iOS releases like the built in apps -- a considerably longer cycle).

iBooks is free and works on all iPhones and iPod touches. iMovie is $4.99 and currently only works on iPhone 4 with its faster processor and higher RAM.

Is that legacy or first-party fragmentation? We tend to define legacy as lack of support for older generation devices and fragmentation as lack of support for current generation devices (due to different hardware specs or operating system availabilities).

Things like the Retina Display being exactly 4x the size of previous displays, and API like CoreMotion and CoreLocation abstracting away the lack of gyroscopes and GPS on older devices, Apple is falling victim to legacy but doing a lot o avoid fragmentation.

We'll see how long they can keep that up, and how widely they can spread iOS to devices like iPad before it becomes a problem to developers and users.

Hundreds of thousands of other apps

As we mentioned in the Retina Display section, existing iPhone apps and games will look the same on the iPhone 4 as they do on the iPhone 3GS and previous models. That means there's already 225,000 apps and games (and likely more by the time we finish writing this) ready to go on your iPhone, a percentage of which are good and a number of which are great.

New apps and games that include x2 artwork will look four times as good. Those are growing in number daily and hopefully we'll see others that start to work with the gyroscope and even FaceTime protocols.

WebOS is making strides in 3D gaming and the Android Market is growing by leaps and bounds. With App Stores in 100 countries, roughly 100 million broadly compatible iOS devices sold to date, and 1 billion paid out to developers, however, Apple maintains a strong lead when it comes to apps and games. That's good for them, developers, and iPhone users -- due to the large number of apps, there's a better chance you'll find the few that are great for you and your needs. That's the advantage of popularity and scale.

Heading into its third year in operation, however, the problem of opaque and inconsistent App Store curation remains. Steve Jobs has said 95% of apps get approved in 7 days, and the 3 top reasons for rejection are apps that don’t do what they say they do, apps that crash on launch, and apps that use private API (that could break in the next OS update).

The price of exerting editorial control, though, is editorial responsibility. Jobs chose to point out app reviewers (and Apple) were just people, and they make mistakes, and can’t foresee everything in advance — like a rule against defamation conflicting with apps making fair parody of public figures. It’s not that Apple is making mistakes (they are), its not that Apple is learning and improving (they are), it’s that they continue to do so in a black box using editorial ambiguity to shield them from the responsibility mandated by their control.

Accessibility

We're going to quote this from our iOS 4 walkthrough verbatim because it bears repeating. Apple really doesn't get enough credit for the outstanding accessibility features they build into their OS, both desktop and mobile. iOS 4 continues to lead the industry. VoiceOver supports 21 languages to read out loud whatever your finger touches on the screen, and a Rotor gesture lets you temporarily change languages now on the fly.

Bluetooth support has been extended to more than 30 braille devices with tables for more than 25 languages.

Touch Typing lets you run your finger across the keyboard, hear the letter you're currently over, and release your finger to type it.

The basic rotor has been made visible so sighted users can see it in action, and you can now add custom settings to move through content.

It's outstanding. We hope other OS choose this as an area to focus their competitive innovations on, and we hope Apple keeps on improving it at the same time.

Maturing platform

Apple has gotten to the point with iOS where updates are increasingly about filling out the feature set, which is a good sign of the platforms growing maturity. They'll have to be careful, however, that with things like fast app switching and folders they're not increasing complexityor stretching their app launcher-centric UI model too far.

The line they've successfully walked in the past was to make simple, mainstream features obvious or easily discoverable -- like tapping an icon or swiping a page. For more advanced or niche features Apple didn't even explain them, just buried them in tech notes or left users to find out about them on sites such as TiPb -- like taking a screenshot or force quitting apps.

Fast app switching and folders could fall into the same model, there for those who want to use them, ignorable for those who don't. It's closer to the line but we don't think they've crossed it yet, at least not for most users.

Pricing and Availability

iPhone 4 became available in the US, France, Germany, the UK, and Japan on June 24, 2010. It's scheduled to become available Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada (!), Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, and Switzerland in July, though recent Apple website updates have replaced that with the more nebulous "soon". All told, Apple plans to ship iPhone 4 to 88 countries this year, a fairly impressive international rollout.

True to form, Apple hasn't reduced the price of the iPhone but gives you more for the same price as last year. Subsidized on AT&T, iPhone 4 will set you back $199 for the 16GB model and $299 for 32GB. ( iPhone 3GS has a new 8GB model and is now occupying the $99 spot).

Outside the US iPhone 4 is or will be available SIM-free (unlocked) if you're willing to pay full price for it (full price varies by region but should be somewhere north of $600 for 16GB and $700 for 32GB).

iPhone comes in black and white (which this year includes a full white face-plate), but as of this writing the white model has been delayed, something Apple ascribes to a more difficult manufacturing processes.

Conclusion

Apple says iPhone 4 is the biggest update since the original iPhone. But it's a very different market now. Back then the iPhone 2G was a wake up call to an arrogant, complacent establishment that had forgotten the innovation that created their industry. Now the giants have all awakened and new giants have joined them and it will be difficult for anyone to shake things up again the way Apple did in 2007. Apple included.

It's not that Apple isn't moving quickly any more, it's that the initial acceleration is done and everyone else isn't stationary around them any more -- they're racing just as fast.

Last year we said the iPhone 3GS was more of a step forward than a leap. This year they took a giant hop approaching a skip, and still in the right direction. There's a lot we still don't have, like Wi-Fi sync/sharing, and an elegant, non-interuptive notification system. But that list continues to grow shorter and shorter. (And hey, the iOS 5 sneak preview event is only 8 or so months away...)

An impressive new design, amazing new display, key features like multitasking, and an attempt to mainstream video calls, along with hundreds of other little improvements combine together to make this a substantial upgrade and clearly the best iPhone ever. (Given the success of previous iPhones, that's no faint praise).

Our usual Smartphone Experts advice still holds true -- pick your network first. If AT&T is the best carrier in your area it's almost a no brainer. Unless you're allergic to apples, this is the phone to get. Internationally, iPhone 4 will be on multiple carriers in most countries so the odds are good you'll find it on your carrier of choice (and be able to get it SIM-free, unlocked directly from Apple). Then it comes down to device.

iPhone 4 is still limited in ways that frustrate power users, and may be flawed to the point of having serious issues (we're waiting to see about that), so that's something you'll want to consider before buying.

If you currently have an iPhone it's certainly more compelling an upgrade from the iPhone 3GS than the iPhone 3GS was from the iPhone 3G, and a great cross-grade for anyone on another platform whose willing to sacrifice control to gain usability. If you have an iPhone 3G or iPhone 2G, and you can afford the upgrade, do it. You'll find the difference is night and day.

I just ordered 2 iPhone 3gs from at&t for $2. I've only ever had my samsung exhibit android from tmobile. I was approved for up to five lines and am thinking of taking the phones into the store tomorrow when ups delivers them before I open them and just paying the $200 to get of the 4's

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This is real comprehensive review of the product and company. You describe each and everything just like you are teaching the lay man. thank you so very much and i am actually got impressed of the write and of your insight on the topic.

Ok I have the first Iphone and I want to get a change but in your honest opinion should i spend my money to get the Iphone 4 or wait until everything is perfected and fixed? Some help me decide! please.

does anybody know if they fixed the aerial problem with the iPhone 4 yet as think about getting one but I don't want to if they are going to bring out another one soon with the aerial problems fixed
thanks

I have been reading a lot of positive reviews regarding Verizons iPhone 4. Be very afraid AT&T...Be very afraid. I think this will hit AT&T hard but I believe both companies will do fine now that there is some competition to keep them working to acquire new and retain old customers!
Steven Wilson
MySocialMania iPhone App

Hey guys/gals – would you please let me know how my 24 story children’s teddybear site looks on an iPhone 4? This fun site is: http://www.ryan.lifeofryan.com Please freely share with parents/teachers/children if you enjoy the story quality and content? Parent/teacher study guides for stories are available upon request. Thanks! :o)

Hey guys/gals – would you please let me know how my 24 story children's teddybear site looks on an iPhone 4? This fun site is: http//www.ryan.lifeofryan.com
Please freely share with parents/teachers/children if you enjoy the story quality and content? Parent/teacher study guides for stories are available upon request. Thanks! :o)

The best phone apple has come out with yet! I love all the features and how it performs. With all this hype about the antenna and dropping calls, I havent had a problem since i got the phone very crisp and clear when talking on the phone. Have never dropped a call. Keep up the good work apple!!!

i am Mohamed Saied From Egypt , i have a very important question about IPHONE 4 problems ?
please tell me if he has any problems in network or not or other-on the other hand the peoples said that it was the last verison had the troubles but now the market had other verisons without any troubles
so, i am waiting your feedback to tell me about that ? i am very worry to get with Errors
you should to know also i am lover of apple brand , how about the verions which disturbed in Egypt
thanks
Mohamed Saied

just got this as a birtday present ,had no problems on reception.
great fone great ui ,great apps and fantastic screen !
BUT TODAY MY HOMEBUTTON STOPPED WORKING ?! wtf.. it wont let me go back to the start menu or the multitask menu ! i have to restart every time ! tips how to fix this would be very apriciated. is anyone else having a problem in homebutton just stopping from working ?

Great and very detailed Review on the iPhone 4. Thanks. 3 items that Apple should quickly improve on are the Video calls, antenna design and battery life. The video calls where the other party needs to be using an iPhone 4 as well as in a wifi zone is a big turnoff. i do hope that they could enable it to other phones and make it available in 3G network soon. Secondly, the re-design of the antenna would be great even though most users are quite happy with the bumper case results. Finally, a bigger battery on the iPhone 4 would be most welcome. All in all, it is definitely still one of the best smartphone in the market.

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I have had an iPhone since it first came out, upgrading through each model and jailbreaking of course. The iPhone 4 is a beautiful piece of equipment. The cameras are great, the display is great, the flash is great, its faster, my download speeds are generally significantly faster (3G and wireless) and I like the Inbox setup. However, it is the worst cell phone I have ever used. It constantly drops calls where I had reception with my 3GS, and it routinely has such poor reception in many areas that it is virtually unusable and I often switch to VOIP at home where my wireless is flawless but I can barely get a 3G signal any more. So, what good is having a micro-iPad when I need a phone? And yes, the reception is poor even when I am not touching it at all. There MUST be some way to boost the antenna reception . . .

Shooting in HD was cool. Editing in iMovie, is easy for small projects. My friends and I shot/edited a short video a few weeks ago on the iphone 4, and this is how it turned out:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rV0tzYx8Gk

HTC Desire has successfully conquered the Market. Its 3.7 inch AMOLED display gives the perfect viewing experience and the 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor gives the fast web browsing. And to preserve this masterpiece for long and to enable it to work with the same efficiency here are the wide range of HTC Desire accessories available at Blueunplugged with the unbeatable prices.

Apple iPhone 4 makes the most awaited video calling a reality with its face time feature. And the Retina display gives the highest resolution display ever. And to keep that display for long blueunplugged introduces you to the amazing Apple iPhone 4 accessories at the unbeatable prices. So cease all you need for your iPhone 4 and keep it in its best working condition for years to come.
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i have the iphone four and i just wish skype and apple would work together to make it possible to have a video chat app. facetime isnt that great considering that it's the only video chat option on the phone. it would only be smart for web chat companies such as skype and oovoo to make a video chat app.

I do not recommend the iphone4 and here's why-
1.dropped calls
2.poor service and voice quality with at&t
3.battery overheats
4.battery life only 14 hours before needing recharging
5.breaks too easily-dropped lightly and screen cracked and chipped
WILL GO BACK TO BLACKBERRY

Do not buy the Iphone 4!!! I have had this product for less than a month and it has already blown itself up! I took care of this phone so well and hadnt dropped it EVER!!! But one day it decided that while i push the home button it was gonna stop working. It is absolutely FRIED, itunes cant even pick up on it (i was trying to reset it). My opinion is that this phone is way too technologically advanced and it does not have the power to run the kind of software intended. DO NOT PURCHASE! The iphone 3gs is a MUCH better choice.
Thanks

WARNING!!! Please TiPB let your users know that http://unlockiphoneusa.com/ is a SCAM. I just bought their UNLOCK for iPhone4 and received an email with a link to a "Members area" with icons for each iPhone. When you click on them they say "Please wait up to 48 hours for us to generate an IMEI unlock code" They have no way of generating that as they dont have the phone IMEI or a way to give it to them. I filed a claim with PAYPAL and it was automatically closed in THEIR favor stating that because it isnt a physical item there is nothing that they can do, and to talk to the seller. Their email bounces, their chat is down and their phone is in disconnect. PLEASE DONT BUY.

The new iPhone is really cool. Finally Apple seems to put away some of their arrogance by introducing iOS4 with multitasking functions with this latest phone at last. But even though, again for iPhone 3GS multitasking is limited, and the answer from the phone giant is that to save the battery. I mean who Apple think they are, the end user should presented with the chance to make that choice (you know - choosing which application to run or not whether they drain my batter or not). Anyway we'll what's going to happen with the Nexus versions and Nokia introductions in the future.

@Dorito: don't listen to satelite radio, sorry. But i can surely upload a picture while I'm surfing the net, while I am editing an excel sheet, oh and also maintain a conversation over chat. All of the above not ever stopping. I call this multitasking.

Great review. Good job. I was going to comment about the front facing camera spec mistake yesterday but it looks like that has already been corrected.
I do have to say, as an Android user with no intention of picking up an iPhone 4, that you anti-Apple fanboys need to calm down. I personally choose the Android OS over iOS. That doesn't make it right for everyone. It just makes it right for ME. Lighten up people. Yes, the iPhone 4 "design flaw" causing reception issues is flat out retarded but everyone needs to stop acting like situations like that have never happened before.
Ok. Back to your regularly scheduled commenting...

Saving and stopping an app to start another is NOT multitasking! What a dissapointment.
Fair review nevertheless, but the reviewers need to be more impartial, and stop giving good reviews to things that are actually bad (i.e. multitasking, antenna issue, breakability, new accessories needed, new apps needed, video call only between iPhones,etc.)
Apple fans have to be more unforgiving with apple, there are 4 iPhone versions in 4 years! Objectively, good and useful improvements are few and even fewer are those that are gamebreaking.

No comments were moderated, however lots of comments get spammed routinely, every day. (Thousands of them, dang bots!). We sometimes offer open chat comments, especially after hard days in Apple lines or software updates. Other times the comments are meant to be of value to the readers by offering more, better, on topic information.
Anything else, including junk ads, pr0n links, illegal download links, and high volume trolling/hi-jacking gets spammed. (And that usually means the auto-spam filters are more likely to spam all your comments in the future -- that's the equal and opposite part of the personal responsibility physics here).
Discuss iPhone 4 and the review here, not each other, and do it with respect to the other readers and commenters.
Megapixel count on front-facing updated. Should have read 0.3 but that's confusing so it just says VGA now. Apologies for the error.

I have an iPhone 3G and a Blackberry 8900.
I have been trying the Galaxy S (Android) and the iPhone4. If I were pushed I would go for the Samsung Galaxy S. The iPhone is very beautifully manufactured and solid but I really like the Galaxy screen and the Android based interface works for me.
A big caveat, however! Neither of them works for me on a pratical level so well as the BBerry! The push service, flexible notifications and keypad still mean I rely on it more. So I have decided to wait and see how the new 9800 looks from them.
I am also intrigued to see if a new iPad looks like the new iPhone. I really don't like the look and feel of the current iPad but would love a tablet like a big iPhone4. I know - mixed up thinking!
Enjoy your phones folks, whichever you choose :-)

What is this nonsense about filtering what people talk about on their comments?? Isn't that what the comment section is for, to create some banter about the article regardless of whether the opinions of the people leaving the comment are in line with the opinions of the writers?
According to the above commentary, the author of this post gave false information about the front facing camera.. VGA not 1.3MP.
Perhaps the author should be banned from this site for misrepresentation.

The admins are doing an awesome job, that is if the job were assigned by Hitler (or S. Jobs) and the goal of the job was to make the boards boring. Anyhow, I love my 3GS phone, and the new OS is working just fine. But I really don't have the need to multitask. But there are some other cool things that I have stumbled upon, and probably others that I haven't even seen yet. Anyhow, ZIEG HIEL DAS FUHRER TipB admin!!!!

I think the admins are doing a phenomenal job keeping the boards in order.. There has been a lot of pointless bickering and bashing going on lately that really makes it hard for others to read through the comments and find something worth reading. Nice job guys, and EXCELLENT, thorough review!

Hey everyone! I love my iPhone 3GS, but I hate when forums like this one are censored by the administrator. Some people work hard on posting informative insightful comments, and risk violating company policy by participating in a helpful, healthy conversation. I realize it might be possible that Steve Jobs has a massive search engine that monitors all these blog sights sensing for negative things about the lemon of a phone that is the iPhone 4. Or it is possible that the French Canadian custom is to stifle the thoughts of others, because you think you are better than that other person.
BOTTOM LINE: STOP DELETING THE GOOD POSTS, WEB NAZI!!!

The problem with the iPhone is that the antenna is placed in a position that is normally held by a human hand, which conducts electricity and therefore wreaks HAVOC on iPhone's signal.
Why do you think almost every other radio device has NOT done this before? It's simple physics.
I know the iPhone is a great device, but you must be insane to think that Apple and Steve Jobs have somehow been able to bend or break the laws of physics.
I mean,.. just cuz Jobs thinks his devices are "magical"... doesn't really mean they are.

@Anthony: Agreed; Leanna is so lovely (most gorgeous smile I've ever seen). ;) It's nice to see that I'm not missing the "big picture."
Oh, and that iPhone 4 is awesome too. I'd get one instantly if it was on T-Mobile USA.
Later...

I admired the courage of Steve Jobs to try and sell the public on his 100 "new" features in which Android has had a vast majority of for quite some time now. The more politically correct phrase is "new to Iphone users." The question I really want answered is how is it going to feel losing BOTH the PC wars to Microsoft and the smartphone wars to Android?

Just off my full time job about an hour ago. So my summer is like any other day (sad for me), but thanks for asking. Also you are right there is not much over there right now. I'm always checking because I refuse to sell my rooted and unlocked G1.

Going up in MP doesn't 'chop up' a 'lens'. It's the sensor, not the lens, that's a key factor as the megapixel count goes up. Camera makers have upped their models to 12+MP without augmenting sensor tech or size and it has turned out noisier images with less quality, even as the resolution increases. Newer compact sensors however have improved performance while keeping size small, so while it's nice in concept to go 'all the way up' to a 5MP camera, it's still not in the running with a modern $100 compact camera let alone more expensive models with bigger sensors like Micro Four Thirds or APS based DSLRs.

I actually think this is one of the most unbiased reviews I have read yet, and coming from an iPhone blog, I mean that as a compliment. Yes, it is a triumph of design and hardware, there is no doubting that, it's beautiful. But it's also getting a bit old looking, the interface. The antenna problems were well documented and not glossed over, as were several other flaws. I actually think that the iOS' biggest flaw is the dependency on iTunes. If anyone releases a solution that is better cross platform and does what most users want, i.e apps, backup for contacts, and film sync then they are going to find themselves behind, as tvthe app store is the only real differentiator at the moment.

Really long and great review. One thing though. When you were talking about the new sensor you said:
"hooks into the accelerometer and allows for incredibly precise 3-axis motion control and rotation around gravity"
You mean 6-axis motion control.

Apple caught up to a few years ago technology (except for maybe the front facing camera which has only been avaialbe in the US for a short period of time). Maybe the next IPhone will have external storage. Oops, probably not since you are not allowed to touch your new phone especially on the left side (if you want good reception). Great screen though (in pixels). Nice it has noise cancellation as good as the Touch Pro 2 which has great noise cancellation.
Can you tell how impressed I am. Gots to have me an IPhone 4 with almost multitasking and folders WOW folders! I remember those on WM for years now and Android too. Good time to catch up Apple.

TiPB the new daycare of Droid-boys, I can't wait for summer to end so these kids can go back to school. Please play sports too, so we won't have to entertain you after school. Soon you can play on Google Me the new facebook.

Nice review - I enjoyed it. I personally need the power and flexability of the upcoming Droid X. Not as pretty and shinny as the Iphone, but it can probably take a hit - plus I need a bigger screen for my big hands and old eyes. A 4.3" screen at 854x480 is 241 ppi - plenty small enough pixels for me - I can't see the pixels at 241ppi, let alone 320ppi. Android is a whole new world with endless possibilites. The lack of widgets on the Iphone is huge, as an afterthought.
Based on my research, most Android phones can do more than a jailbroken Iphone.

All those who do not think that software can correct hardware issues are probably blissfully unaware of the hardware bugs that quite often exist in PC motherboards and other components that are either fixed with BIOS software or the main OS. And by 'fixed' I don't just mean papering over the cracks, but rather fixes that completely eliminate the problem.

Wow! This iPhone4 is a great option, the thing is that, Apple kill all the potential of this phone. Video call only iPhone to iPhone? And WiFi only? No option to real Phone as hotspot? That's why I'm a former iPhone user. That Android phone Evo it's a good option, or Droid X, or the new Epic 4G, Nexus One :-)

haha apple, welcome to 2008. would you seriously want to lock yourself into a 2 year contract with this device? at the rate android phones are exploding, by next June apple will be really feeling the android heat!

Its a shame this forum reviewers are faraway from the IP4 review all the comments a-fanboys are useless...however its a shame that Apple launch this last est IP4 with several problems and a mediocre multitask look like a toy for teenagers compared to a really smart phone

how can they fix a design hardware issue with a patch, are you all that dumb?? it is impossible to fix the issue with software. the only way to fix it is to redesign the phone or to get a case. and yes, you are holding it wrong.

@Cardfan:
I've had several days with an iPhone 4 now. But you're right, which is why this was a team review with input and elements from everyone at TiPb. Greater than the sum of our parts we are. Dieter did a lot of field work and provided the competitive analysis, Leanna worked on video, photography, and FaceTime with Chad, who also did iBooks and general testing along with Ally, who also kept track of apps.
(But if Apple wants to help us out even more an send an early review unit next year, I won't turn it down... :D )

Sorry Rene, i think the review lacks something because i don't get the feeling that you've used it. I know you're in Canada and kinda restricted right now.
Were you able to still carry one around awhile?

wow not very many useful comments any ways @Rob My buddies all have one some have the problem and some don't i thought it was hardware. however i was able to reproduce it on my 3gs and not my wifes 3g only difference was iphone 4. i suspect they made a carrier change last minute that wasn't able to get the proper thumbs up from R&D. Patch should work we will see then i will decide on buying a iphone 4 or not.

So, all joking aside. Is it possible that this is a software problem. I feel that if the used the same signal tracking software as previous iPhones, this problem was inevitable. Everything that gets near an intena effects it, it's up to the device to follow the signal. Since the antenna is on the outside of the phone, couldn't this just be corrected with better tracking software.
I'm not an expert by any means, just wondering.

Really guys? How old are you? the "you're holding it wrong" trolling needs to stop.
You're only making yourselves look like idiots.
I've got the iPhone 4, i ACTUALLY bought one, and I have not even experienced this "issue" once.
Let alone, the fact that it's even being patched soon with a software patch, which only puts even more of a LAYER on top of your stupidity for making fun of it.

@steve jobs impersonator. What's it like to be such failure in life that your joys come from trolling? Seriously I'd like to know because if I ever get to that point in my life where you are now I'll make sure I kill myself as to not be such an embarrassment to my family and friends.

I would like to say thank you to the nillion dummies.. I mean supporters who bought our product.. I am glad to teach you how to hold a phone.. Buy a bumper from tipb.com so it'll work as a phone
written on my iphone 3gs because my iphone 4 kept dropping out when I held it wrong